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Dentists

Dentists

Does my dentist need to know about my HIV?
Will my dentist treat me differently because of my HIV?

Does my dentist need to know about my HIV?

Dentists often ask new patients whether they have HIV. You don’t need to respond to this question if you don’t want to. However, there are benefits to telling your dentist. People with HIV are more likely to have particular dental problems, particularly at low CD4 counts. Your dentist may also prescribe medication such as sedatives (for people with dental phobia) which could interact badly with your HIV medication.

If you do tell your dentist your HIV status, they must keep this confidential.¹

_{[1] Handbook to NHS Constitution, March 2013. http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/NHSConstitution/Pages/Overview.aspx}

Will my dentist treat me differently because of my HIV?

Some people living with HIV have had the experience of dentists taking extra measures to protect against HIV transmission. This includes restricting how and when patients with HIV can access services – for example, only on the last appointment of the day, to allow for extra cleaning afterwards. Others have been told they would have to pay above the usual NHS rates for dental services. But such measures are not necessary and are discriminatory.¹ Dentists should use ‘universal precautions’ to prevent infection for all patients, regardless of whether they are known to have HIV.

_{[1] Equality Act 2010 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents}

Where does this information come from?

BHIVA Standards of Care for People Living with HIV

Developed by the British HIV Association (BHIVA), in partnership with care providers, professional associations, commissioners and people living with HIV, the Standards outline what good quality HIV services look like. Commissioners, HIV clinics and others who provide HIV services should be guided by the BHIVA Standards in their work.

NHS Constitution

The Constitution sets out your rights as an NHS patient. These rights cover how patients access health services, the quality of care you’ll receive, the treatments and programmes available to you, confidentiality, information and your right to complain if things go wrong.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 pulled together all existing strands of anti-discrimination legislation. It provides protection against discrimination and harassment which is linked to: disability (HIV is defined as a disability from the point of diagnosis. You don’t need to feel disabled to be covered); gender reassignment; marriage or civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sexual orientation; sex (gender); age (in employment situations only).

Health and Social Care Act 2012

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 is the piece of legislation which started the recent changes to the NHS in England. It describes the new structures which will commission your health services and the opportunities for patients to get involved with shaping the services in their local area.

FACS 2010

Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) is the assessment tool used by all local councils to decide who should get social care services. In 2010 the Department of Health released guidance called Prioritising need in the context of Putting People First: A whole system approach to eligibility for social care – which is commonly called FACS 2010 for short. It outlines how the FACS assessment should be carried out and what should be considered in deciding if someone needs social care services.

This resource was proposed by an advisory board, attended by an expert panel of voluntary sector/patient organisations. The writing of the resource was undertaken by NAT (National AIDS Trust). Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) funded and attended the advisory board, and had the opportunity to check the resource for accuracy and balance. Final editorial control was held by NAT, taking account of input from the advisory board members and other experts.

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